KOLKATA: A 94-year-old man could soon become Bengal’s oldest Covid-19 survivor, with the nonageranian fast on the path to recovery. If all goes well, he could be sent home on Thursday.
“The patient has had a good recovery, and his condition has been stable the past few days,” said Indranil Biswas, medical superintendent and vice-principal at Medical College Hospital Kolkata (MCH), where the patient is under treatment. “We plan to discharge him soon, depending on the treating doctors’ decision.”
The elderly man was admitted to the hospital on June 13 with Covid symptoms, after a family member previously tested positive. Doctors said he exhibited shortness of breath and fever. Initially admitted in the SARI (severe acute respiratory illness) ward, the senior citizen was shifted to the Covid ward at the super-speciality building once he tested positive.
Luckily, in spite of his advanced age, he had only one significant co-morbid condition: hypertension. Again, because of his age, he was kept in ICU but doctors said he did not need ventilation. “He had hypoxia (low oxygen in blood), and was hence initially put on oxygen support,” said Biswas, adding, “Now, he does not require any mechanical oxygen and is breathing on his own.” He has now been shifted to a general bed.
“We did not put him on ventilation, instead keeping him on oxygen therapy for the hypoxia,” said a senior doctor in charge of the patient. “And it worked well. We are happy that we will most probably be able to send him home on Thursday.”
A few hospitals — including ID Hospital Beliaghata, Fortis Hospital and MR Bangur Hospital — have previously cured and discharged Covid patients in their 80s, the oldest of them an 88-year-old who was treated at MR Bangur Hospital. An 82-year-old retired college professor was discharged from the ID Hospital. At Fortis, an 85-year-old woman recovered from Covid after spending days in ICU. The octogenarian released from Bangur hospital suffered from multiple co-morbidities.
MCH started functioning as a tertiary-level Covid hospital in mid-May. The 500-bedded Covid facility has 50% bed occupancy.
According to state health department data, those in the 75-years-and-above age bracket are the most vulnerable to Covid in Bengal, with more than 19% of the state’s fatalities from this group.
“The patient has had a good recovery, and his condition has been stable the past few days,” said Indranil Biswas, medical superintendent and vice-principal at Medical College Hospital Kolkata (MCH), where the patient is under treatment. “We plan to discharge him soon, depending on the treating doctors’ decision.”
The elderly man was admitted to the hospital on June 13 with Covid symptoms, after a family member previously tested positive. Doctors said he exhibited shortness of breath and fever. Initially admitted in the SARI (severe acute respiratory illness) ward, the senior citizen was shifted to the Covid ward at the super-speciality building once he tested positive.
Luckily, in spite of his advanced age, he had only one significant co-morbid condition: hypertension. Again, because of his age, he was kept in ICU but doctors said he did not need ventilation. “He had hypoxia (low oxygen in blood), and was hence initially put on oxygen support,” said Biswas, adding, “Now, he does not require any mechanical oxygen and is breathing on his own.” He has now been shifted to a general bed.
“We did not put him on ventilation, instead keeping him on oxygen therapy for the hypoxia,” said a senior doctor in charge of the patient. “And it worked well. We are happy that we will most probably be able to send him home on Thursday.”
A few hospitals — including ID Hospital Beliaghata, Fortis Hospital and MR Bangur Hospital — have previously cured and discharged Covid patients in their 80s, the oldest of them an 88-year-old who was treated at MR Bangur Hospital. An 82-year-old retired college professor was discharged from the ID Hospital. At Fortis, an 85-year-old woman recovered from Covid after spending days in ICU. The octogenarian released from Bangur hospital suffered from multiple co-morbidities.
MCH started functioning as a tertiary-level Covid hospital in mid-May. The 500-bedded Covid facility has 50% bed occupancy.
According to state health department data, those in the 75-years-and-above age bracket are the most vulnerable to Covid in Bengal, with more than 19% of the state’s fatalities from this group.
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